Ladle for pouring molten metal.



J. W. CALLAGHAN.

LADLE POE POURING MOLTEN METAL;

APPLIUATION FILED Iman, 1910.

977,271. 7 Patented N0v.29,191o.

WTNESSES INVENTOI? JAMES W. CALLAGI-IAN, F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

LADLE FOR POURING MOLTEN METAL.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

Application led February 11, 1910. Serial No. 543,341.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES IV. CALLAGHAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain Improvements in Ladles for Pouring Molten Metal, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates especially to those ladles which are employed incasting steel and are adapted to contain from five to fteen tons ofmolten metal, and more particularly the present improvements pertain tothe stopper or closure by which flow of the metal from said ladle intothe molds is controlled.

The objects of the invention are to locate the stopper or closure uponthe outside of the ladle, and to operate it by means wholly outside theladle; to avoid the necessity of a stopper or closure and operatingmeans therefor submerged in the molten metal, and the danger of suchoperating means burning off so that the metal cannot be poured; to savewaste of metal, and labor and expense, and to obtain other advantagesand results as may be brought out in the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals ofreference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several gures,Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a ladle provided with myimproved stopper or closure; Fig. 2 is a view of the bottom of theladle, looking upward; Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3 3 of Fig.2; Fig. 4 is a detail view of the rear end of the stopper or closure,with its handle removed; Fig. 5 is a view of a certain threaded socketor support for said handle, and Fig. 6 is a view of a certain spring andits support for holding the stopper or closure in sealing position.l

In said drawings, 10 indicates a ladle of the form and size commonlyemployed for pouring molten metal into molds, said ladle having atopposite sides of itself supporting trunnions 11, 11 on the outside ofits walls 12 and having in its bottom 13 an outlet 14. On opposite sidesof said outlet 14, slideways 15, 15 are provided upon the bottom 13 ofthe ladle, and which slideways receive flanges 16, 16 on the oppositesides of the stopper or closure 17, preferably at their upper edges, asshown. Said stopper or closure 17 preferably comprises a shell or body18, of sheet metal or the like, which is wedge-shaped in side view orhas its bottom 19 inclined rearwardly downward from the bottom 13 of theladle to the lower edge of the rear end walls 20 of the shell or body.The sides 2l, 21 of said shell or body I have shown vertical, althoughthey might be otherwise formed. This shell or body 18 of the stopper orclosure is filled with fire clay 22, the upper surface of said fillingbeing plane and adapted to slide along the bottom 13 of the ladle as thestopper or closure is reciprocated in its slideways 15, 15. Of course,said stopper or closure is of suiiicient size, and properly located, toeither cover the outlet 14 as shown in the drawings or be slid toentirely uncover it and permit the outflow of the contents of the ladle.For so sliding the stopper or closure, its rear end wall 20 has acentrally disposed projecting boss 23, socketed as at 24 to receive theend of the shank or shaft 25 of a handle 26. Said handle 26 extendsthrough a hanger 27 depending from the bottom 13 of the ladle, and thusby reciprocating said handle 26 the stopper or closure 17 can be slidinto open or shut position. Preferably, the handle 26 is reciprocated bythreading its shaft or shank, as at 28, to screw in the hanger 27, whichhas a correspondinglythreaded bearing 29, and the end of the shank whichenters the socket 24 has an external groove 30 to receive a retainingscrew 31 through the wall of the socket, while the outer end of theshaft or shank 25 is provided with a hand wheel 32.

If necessary to secure an impervious fit of the stopper or closure 17against the bottom 13 of the ladle, covering the outlet 14, so as toprevent any escape of liquid metal past said stopper when closed, aspring 33 may be provided to seat the stopper against the botytom of theladle. Said spring 33 is preferably supported, as shown in the drawings,by a U-shaped bracket 34 depending from the ladle bottom 13, and whichhas a post 35 for the spring to be set over to hold it in position. Saidbracket 34 is of course so located that it and the spring 33 are clearof the flow of iiuid metal from the outlet, 14.

It will be noted that in the reciprocation of the stopper or closure 17its sharp, thin edge is caused to move back and forth across the outletopening 14 in the bottom of the ladle, and said sharp edge prevents anytendency of the stream of molten metal to accumulate on the stopper orclosure In other words, a well-defined solid stream is secured from theoutlet When the stopper or closure is opened, and said stopper whenclosed cuts of the stream positively and cleanly.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim isl. The combinationWith a casting' ladle having an outlet in its bottom, of a stopper orClosure outside said ladle With its bottom inclined upward to form anacute angle with the top at one edge of the stopper, means for holdingsaid top of the stopper or closure in sliding engagement With the bottomof the ladle, and means for sliding said stopper or closure to move itssaid sharp edge back and forth across said outlet of the ladle.

2. The combination With a casting ladle having an outlet in its bottom,of slideways upon the outer surface of the bottom of said ladle atopposite sides of said outlet, a stopper or closure mounted at itsopposite lateral edges in said slideivays and imperviously engaging atits top the bottom of the ladle, the bottom of said stopper or closuregi otk/,effi

being inclined longitudinally upward to form an acute angle with the topat one end of the stopper, and mea-ns connect-ed to the other or thickend of the stopper or closure for sliding' it in said slideivays.

3. The combination with a casting ladle having an outlet in its bottom,of slideivays upon the outer surface of the bottom of said ladle atopposite sides of said outlet, a stopper or closure mounted at itsopposite lateral edges in said slideivays and imperviously engaging atits top the bottom of the ladle, a hanger depending from the ladlebottom, a shaft threaded in said hanger in alinement with the directionof sliding of the stopper or closure, means rotatably securing the innerend of said shaft to the stopper or closure, and means at the outer endof the said shaft for turning the same.

JAMES XV. CALLAGHAN.

In the presence ofNM PAUL P. FITZSIMMONS, FRANCES E. BLonGn'r'r.

